In this video we make sodium cyanide using a thermite like reaction.
To do this we first react sodium hydroxide with urea to make sodium cyanate. Sodium cyanate is essential sodium cyanide with an oxygen atom attached. To remove it we react it with magnesium. In some ways this is a thermite-like reaction as the reactants are solids and the products are solids. Additionally, a tremendous amount of heat is released. Although it's not a true thermite as it's not a redox reaction between a metal and metal oxide. Nonetheless. This does fit under the much broader category of combustion synthesis.